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Wednesday, December 30, 2015

May I drink a toast to you?




And wish you the Happiest of New Years.



Thank you dear friends for sharing your world with me.  






You are responsible for giving me the Wanderlust.

I thank you for your visits dear friends.

May 2016 bring you all that you wish for. 

May you be happy, healthy and prosperous.  

Gina 



Monday, December 28, 2015

These could save your life



Two pieces of wood and a string.


And a sturdy nail into each end could save a life.




I love our pond... but not in winter.
See those footprints, they are heading straight for the thin ice.


  

Part of our pond never freezes, near the deep Spring where the water temperature is 65 degrees year round. 




After thinking long and hard we decided to lower the pond for the winter months. 




Large machinery and a friend with precise maneuvering skills made quick work of the task. 



He even cleaned out the ditches which carry the water to our fields.  
The water flowed so fast that many fish became stranded.  I gathered them into a bucket of water and carried them back to the Pond. 




An old farm Disk sat in one of the corners, getting in the way when harvesting our fields.  




Because the  equipment could only lift the Disk so far,




Our Friend backed up his big truck until it was level with the disk. He backed the truck into the machine (not the other way around) until it was swallowed up. 



When I asked him if he was going to use it as a "sculpture", on his farm, our Friend surprised me by saying that "he would see if he could make it work again". 
Not much is wasted in this small farm community.  



If you live near frozen waters you must have one of these in the ready.  Wear it around your neck and if you should fall through the ice, these handles can pull you up and on top of the ice.  




Just in case and nearby our pond, a boat for the open water, a rake to reach with and what could be a lifesaver...a simple string with two wooden handles. 



By opening the spillway, we lowered the pond by more than a foot.
Much safer.




Now only a small pool open for the ducks. 




It won't be long, the days are getting longer. There will be Spring.




 And Summer




and Fall, when I love my pond most of all.

Have a great week my dear 
Blogging Friends.

Gina




Partial repost January 2013



Saturday, December 26, 2015

The day after




It snowed all day



The only open water is by the spring.




Soon the snow will melt.

But before that, New Year's Eve will be celebrated with friends. 

Champagne is on ice.  

Gina


Thursday, December 24, 2015

Merry Christmas dear friends




May this Christmas season bring joy to you and yours. 





Wishing you health and happiness.

I so appreciate your visits and every one of your comments is treasured.

Merry Christmas to you all. 

Gina 


Saturday, December 19, 2015

Almost ready for Christmas




Only a few more fun chores to complete.


Fresh greens and fresh fruit for the table centerpiece.





It will be replaced with a white rose bouquet at dinner time. 
(Don't you hate to look across the table when a tall centerpiece takes center stage). 





Lifesaver Garlands are still my favorite Christmas Tree decorations.  





More and more of the "open" water is disappearing.





Early morning surprised us with new snow.





It's time to get out the cross country skis and pack up a picnic.





Geese need to fly south.  





Friends are stopping by to wish us well.

That is  my favorite part of this Christmas Season.  


May light and love be with you always.  

Gina


Friday, December 11, 2015

Don't put your paints away yet.




 We've all been painting glass Christmas ornaments. Right?   



So, while the paint is still wet, why not paint a few wooden hearts.






What's great about painting wooden hearts?  You can paint them on both sides.  





So if you don't like one side. Turn it over.  

Just saying.  

Love ya. 

Gina 



Friday, December 4, 2015

Twirl, twist and roll.



To create one-of-a-kind.



Christmas tree ornaments.





All you need are clear glass balls, acrylic paints and water.






Mix acrylic paints with a little water and squirt a small amount into (the inside) and at the top of the glass ball. 

I use old bottles that have very little paint left in them.  






Thin to a consistency so that the paint covers the inside of the glass easily.  Rotate ball covering only a small portion at a time. 






Repeat with next colors until the inside is covered all around.






Let dry upside down on paper towels.






3 to 4 different colors is all you need.  





They look great with the rest of your Christmas decorations. 


Happy creating.  

Gina 



Tuesday, December 1, 2015

The First Advent




Last Sunday was the First Advent


This year it fell on November 29th. 



Advent Sunday is the fourth Sunday BEFORE Christmas Day. 


How excited we were.
Running up four flights of stairs to wake up the first Räuchermann (incense smoker).
Impatiently waiting for grown ups to catch up.





German ebay


 Gently taking him out of his box, gently carrying him down to the Gute Stube (the best room of the house).  Only good little girls and good little boys are allowed to carry him. 
  
Placing  him on the fireplace mantle where he fills the air with exotic incense. And where soon he will be joined by three more Räuchermännchen, the next three Sundays.
Christmas Season had officially begun.





German ebay

Cone incense is placed inside and lit.





German ebay

We were spellbound, waiting for the smoke to come out of their mouths.








The tradition is observed in many parts of Germany and other central European countries. But nowhere more celebrated than in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) central Europe near the Saxony/Bohemia border. 
Ore Mountain Folk Art, in the form of Smoking Figures (Räuchermännchen), Christmas Pyramids, Nutcrackers and many other colorful and hand carved ornaments are known the world over.

Happy First Advent to you, my dear
Blogging Friends.

Gina



Sunday, November 29, 2015

What do you think?



Is it time to get into the Christmas spirit?




And create a few masterpieces.







No talent required, just a little white glue and thin paper napkins.





After gluing paper onto glass balls I've added a few painted dots. 





Most paper napkins can be separated into thin layers, the thinner, the better. 





Tear paper napkins into small and irregular pieces and glue onto glass or plastic balls, covering every inch.  





When dry, spray with a little sealer.  






Plastic balls (available in craft stores this time of year) are more practical.  





You can also paint them.  With acrylic paints.  I'll show you how in a few days.  

Now is a good time to head to your craft store.  
Clear Balls are only available this time of year.  

Happy creating, 
Gina